Feeding unit

ABSTRACT

A FEEDING UNIT INCLUDES A CASING HAVING AN OPENING THROUGH WHICH MATERIAL IS TO BE FED. A DOOR COVERS THE OPENING AND A CHUTE IS ATTACHED TO THE INSIDE OF THE DOOR. A DISCHARGE ASSISTING MEANS IS SWINGABLY DISPOSED IN THE CASING AND IS CONNECTED BY LINKAGE TO THE CHUTE SO THAT WHEN THE DOOR IS PULLED OPEN THE DISCHARGE ASSISTING MEANS SWINGS OUT OF THE WAY TO PERMIT CHUTE LOADING. WHEN THE DOOR IS THEN CLOSED, THE DISCHARGE ASSISTING MEANS SWING ACROSS THE CHUTE TO ASSIST IN DISCHARGING MATERIALS THEREFROM.

J- A. BOYD FEEDING UNIT Nov. 14, 1972 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 22, 1971 INVENTOR JOHN A. BOYD By 2446, ,flww

ATTORNEYS.

J. A. BOYD FEEDING UNIT Nov. 14, 1972 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 22, 1971 INVENTOR JOHN I A, BOYD ATTORNEY3,

United States Patent Office 3,702,650 Patented Nov. 14, 1972 3,702,650 FEEDING UNIT John A. Boyd, 3314 Holloman Road, Falls Church, Va. 22042 Filed Jan. 22, 1971, Ser. No. 108,767 Int. Cl. B65g 11/16 U.S. Cl. 193-34 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a feeding unit and more particularly it relates to a unit wherein charging thereof with materials can be accomplished by introducing the materials through a door.

It is customary to provide feeding doors on various types of machines and appliances such doors being swingable to an open position to permit materials to be introduced therethrough. One such example might be a furnace or other burning apparatus wherein the door is opened, the materials to be burned are introduced thereinto, and the door is subsequently closed. Another application could be a compacting or material compressing machine wherein the door is swung open, the materials to be compacted or compressed are introduced thereinto, and the door is subsequently closed.

It is, of course, desirable to make certain that all of the materials to be fed through the open door and into the equipment are properly disposed far enough within the equipment so that the door can be closed completely. It is also important from a safety standpoint to accomplish introduction of the materials in such a manner that the operator cannot be injured. Thus, in feeding furnaces or heating apparatus, it is quite dangerous for the operator to attempt to shove the materials into the equipment either by hand or by the use of an implement such as a shovel. In compacting machines or any other type of material treatment machine, it could be dangerous for the operator to attempt to introduce the materials by hand, since the operator's hands might be inadvertently caught in the equipment.

In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a feeding unit wherein charging of apparatus or equipment can be conducted in a safe manner so that the operator or attendant cannot be injured.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a loading or feeding arrangement for apparatus including mechanical means which will automatically assist in discharging materials into the apparatus or equipment.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a simple yet etficient feeding unit which can be connected in conjunction with existing apparatus or can be easily installed on new apparatus.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a material loading unit including a discharge assisting means which serves to positively feed materials into the equipment simply by closing of the charging door.

Other objects, advantages, and salient features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring now to the drawings, which form a part of this original disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the parts of the unit in different positions.

Referring now to the drawings in further detail, there is shown in FIG. 1 a casing generally designated 10 which can be easily attached to new or existing forms of equipment into which material is to be inserted. A casing generally designated 10 includes a forward wall having a first surface 12 and a second angularly outwardly extending surface 14. The casing also includes an opening 16, as best seen in FIG. 4, extending from the wall 14 to a top wall 18. The casing is also provided with a pair of side walls 20 extending in generally parallel relationship along opposite sides thereof. Each side wall 20 has a forwardly projecting portion 22 defined by a first edge 24 which extends outwardly at the same angle, but beyond, the front wall portion 14, and a second edge portion 26 extending rearwardly and inwardly and terminating at the top wall 18 of the casing. The edge portions 24 and 26 meet at a point 28 at the forward end of the side wall portion 22.

A door generally designated 30 is positioned along the casing 10 in such a manner as to close the opening 16 therein. The door 30 includes a larger upper panel 32 and a reversely bent smaller lower panel 34, the two panels joining along ,a crease 36. As can best be seen from FIGS. 1 and 3, the larger upper panel 32 coincides with and extends along the edge portion 26 of the side wall while the smaller door panel 34 coincides with and extends partially along the edge 24 of the casing side wall. The crease 36 where the door panels join with one another is coincident with the point 28 of the side wall. A handle 38 is attached to the door at the central upper portion of the panel 32 to enable the door to be manually opened and closed.

As can best be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, a chute generally designated 40 is attached to the inside of the door 30. The chute includes a pair of spaced apart side walls 42 which are parallel to one another, a bottom wall 44 extending between the side Walls, and a forward wall 46 which is welded or otherwise securely attached to the interior surface of the door panel 32. When the door is in the closed position of FIG. 3 the bottom wall 44 extends angularly downwardly, as shown, so that any material within the chute 40 will tend to gravitationally discharge downwardly therefrom. The angle of inclination of the bottom Wall 44 is somewhat less than the angular inclination of the door panel 34 and front casing wall 14. However, it is somewhat greater than the angle of inclination would be if the bottom wall 44 was perpendicular to the front wall 46. In fact, the inclination of the bottom wall 44 is approximately intermediate the inclination of a plane perpendicular to the front 'wall 46 and the inclination of the door panel 34 and easing panel 14. A bar or rod 48 is welded or otherwise attached to the underside of the chute 44 and such bar 48 is rotatably connected to the side walls 20 of the casing along the forward portions 22 thereof. Such rotatable connetcion can be accomplished by means of bolts 50 which connect through the side walls of the casing and with the bar 48.

As a result of the mounting arrangement of bar 48, which is freely rotatable about its own axis of rotation,

which axis is perpendicular to the side walls of the casing, the door 30 and the chute 40 are both swingably mounted. Thus, the door 30 can assume the closed position shown in FIG. 3 wherein the opening 16 in the casing is completely closed and wherein the chute has the downward configuration as shown. Also, the door can be swung to the open position shown in solid lines in FIG. 4 wherein the chute is tilted upwardly and wherein the opening 16 is exposed. The phantom line showing of the chute and door in FIG. 4 represents the positions thereof intermediate a fully opened and a fully closed position.

Discharge assisting means generally designated 52 are provided within the casing 10. Such discharge assisting means includes a bar 54 similar to, and parallel to, the bar 48. Bolts 56 extending through the casing side walls serve to rotatably mount the bar 54 for rotation about its own pivot axis which extends parallel to the pivot axis through the bar 48. As best shown in FIG. 2, three rigid spoke members 58 are affixed by welding or other suitable permanent connection means to the bar 54 for rotation therewith. A rod 60 is mounted across the forward end of the spokes 58. These spokes 58 and the rods 60 serve as a pushing means in a manner to be described shortly hereinafter. The discharge assisting means further includes linkage including a pair of links 62 having one end permanently attached to the bar 54 adjacent the interior of the casing side walls. Another link member 64 is provided between the side walls 42 of the chute and the side walls 20 of the casing. The link member 64 has one end pivotally connected with the side walls of the chute by a pivot pin or other pivot connection 66. The opposite end of the link 64 is connected by a pivot pin or other pivot connection 68 to the free end of the fixed link 62.

With the foregoing in mind, operation of the present invention can now be described. Ordinarily, the unit will be in the closed position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 wherein the door 30 completely closes the interior of the casing for safety purposes. Thus, regardless of whether the easing is attached to a furnace, a compacting machine, or any other type of equipment, the door 30 will ordinarily close the opening 16 so that access to the interior of the equipment will be blocked. When it is desired to open the door 30, the attendant or operator merely grasps the door handle 38 and pulls the same in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 3. This will cause the door 30 and the chute 40 connected therewith, to pivot about the rod 48 and swing to a fully opened position, as shown in solid lines in FIG. 4. As the chute swings upwardly from the position of FIG. 3 to the position of FIG. 4, the link 64 is moved in the direction of the arrow A of FIG. 3. This movement in turn causes the link 62 to be moved in the direction of the arrow B of FIG. 3 and since the link 62 is connected with the rod 54, such movement causes a rotation of the rod 54. As the rod 54 rotates, the spokes 58 and rod 60 forming the pushing means moves in the direction of the arrows C of FIG. 3. Thus, when the door is finally moved to its fully opened position as shown in FIG. 4, which can be controlled by any suitable type of stop means, the discharge assisting means 52 will have moved to the solid line position shown in FIG. 4 and the chute 40 will also be disposed in the solid line position of FIG. 4.

The operator or attendant can then introduce the materials to be loaded into the equipment simply by depositing the same within the chute 40. It should be noted that there is no need for the operator or attendant to reach into or through the opening 16 in the casing, since such loading as is desired can be satisfactorily accomplished entirely outside the casing 10. When loading has been entirely completed, the operator need only grasp the door handle and swing the door closed, thus moving the door in the direction of the arrow D of FIG. 4. As can be seen from FIG. 4, at least a portion of the discharge assisting means will have swung through the opening 16 to extend outside the casing when the door is opened. As the door 4 is closed, this portion will move in the direction of the Arrow E of FIG. 4 and will swing downwardly and inwardly. When the door reaches the phantom line position of FIG. 4, the pushing portion 58, 60 of the discharge assisting means 52 will have moved to its phantom line position almost at the bottom wall 44 of the chute means. At this point also, the bottom wall of the chute means will have swung to a slightly downwardly inclined position. As further closing of the door continues, the bottom wall 44 of the chute will be inclined further and further downwardly, and at the same time the pushing means 58, 60 will serve to push any materials out of the chute, due to the inward swinging and pushing action thereof. When the door is again finally closed, the pushing means will have reached the vertical position shown in FIG. 3 and all or substantially all of the materials will have been discharged from the chute.

After reading the foregoing detailed description, it should be apparent that the objects set forth at the outset hereof have been successfully achieved by the present in vention.

What is claimed is:

1. A feeding unit comprising:

a casing having an opening in the forward wall thereof;

a door adapted to close said opening;

a chute attached to the inside of said door, said chute being directed downwardly when said door is closed so that material introduced through said opening and onto said chute will tend to gravitationally discharge therefrom; and

discharge assisting means swingably mounted within said casing;

said discharge assisting means being swingable to project at least partially out of said casing through said opening when said door is open;

said discharge assisting means also being swingable across said chute as said door is closed to assist in discharging materials from said chute;

said chute being pivotally mounted to said casing and swingable about a first pivot axis;

said discharge assisting means being pivotally mounted to said casing and swingable about a second pivot axis parallel to said first pivot axis;

said discharge assisting means including a bar extending along said second pivot axis and a rigid pushing means affixed to said bar and rotatable concurrently therewith.

2. A feeding unit as defined in claim 1, wherein said pushing means includes a plurality of spaced rigid spokes extending from said bar and a rod connected across the ends of said spokes, said rod being parallel to said bar.

3. A feeding unit as defined in claim 1, wherein said discharge assisting means further includes linkage connected between said bar and said chute whereby movement of said chute causes rotation of said bar about-said second pivot axis.

4. A feeding unit as defined in claim 3 wherein said chute includes upstanding side walls and wherein said linkage includes:

a first link member having one end atfixed to said bar and having a free end away from said bar,

a second link member having one end pivotally attached to a chute side wall and having a second free end juxtaposed to the free end of said first link member, and

pivot connection means pivotally connecting said free ends of said first and second link members together.

5. A feeding unit comprising:

casing means including a forward wall with an inlet opening therein and interior walls which define a cavity;

a door mounted for swingable movement between an open position where said inlet opening permits access to said cavity and a closed position where said door closes said inlet opening and prevents access to said cavity;

a chute connected to the interior of said door, said chute including a bottom wall and a pair of side walls;

said chute bottom wall being immovably connected with said door and being inclined downwardly within said cavity when said door is in said closed position so that material introduced into said chute when said door is in said open positionwill tend to gravitationally discharge from said chute into said cavity when said door is at said closed position;

discharge assisting means swingably mounted within said casing;

said discharge assisting means including:

movable means free from attachment with said chute and movable relatively to said chute bottom wall without contacting against said chute bottom wall; and linkage means coupled with said movable means and connected between said casing interior walls and said chute side walls;

6 said linkage means being operative in response to movement of said door between its open and its closed positions to move said movable means relatively to said chute bottom wall to assist in discharging materials therefrom and into said cavity.

6. A feeding unit as defined in claim 5 wherein said movable means projects at least partially out of said casing means through said inlet opening when said door is in its open position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,755,089 4/1930 Wyse 193-34 GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner F. E. WERNER, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

2l4-l30 R; 222217 

